Many of the worldâ€™s greatest artworks were produced during the Renaissance in Italy, the age of Giotto, Masaccio, Brunelleschi, Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo, and Titian. We will define the significant contributions made by these artists and their contemporaries, as we study painting, sculpture, and architecture of the 13th-16th centuries. For full interpretation, we will discuss the works within their historical context, paying particular attention to patronage and the rising status of the artist. As reflected in the individual works, we will define the characteristics of the Renaissance, such as humanism and classicism. And we will explain why the Renaissance is one of the most significant periods in the entire history of art: important innovations appeared in both style and iconography, i.e., the development of perspective, increasing realism, and a new emphasis on portraiture and the nude.